The International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA) and The International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) issued a joint statement that calls for the immediate release of imprisoned Myanmar filmmaker and festival director Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi. We urge you to read the statement and sign your name below.

We – filmmakers, film professionals, festivals, and organisations from around the world – are expressing our profound dismay at the recent detention of our fellow filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi and we are calling for his immediate release.

On 12 April 2019, filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi was arrested by the Myanmar authorities after being sued by a military officer for “insulting and defaming the Army.” Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi is a prominent filmmaker in Myanmar, and as such, an important voice in cinema in general. Additionally, Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi is the co-founder of the Human Rights Human Dignity Film Festival in Yangon.

After publishing various Facebook posts expressing public concern towards the military-drafted 2008 Constitution, he was detained and charged under two violations, both carrying a maximum prison sentence of two years. Recently, he has been denied bail and is now awaiting his trial scheduled on 25 April.

Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi’s physical health is currently very fragile, having been operated to treat liver cancer only three months ago.

We are gravely concerned for his health and fear for his life, should Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi be sentenced to imprisonment.

We therefore plead for compassion for his serious health condition, and call authorities in Myanmar for the immediate release of Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi and his right to bail on humanitarian grounds.

Signed,

• Orwa Nyrabia, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Bero Beyer, International Film Festival Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Simon Kilmurry, International Documentary Association, United States
• Mariette Rissenbeek, Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
• Melanie Iredale, Sheffield Doc/Fest, United Kingdom
• Keri Putnam, Sundance Institute, United States
• Tabitha Jackson, Sundance Institute, United States
• Karel Och, Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, Czech Republic
• Gediminas Andriukaitis, Inconvenient Films, Lithuania
• Darya Bassel, Docudays UA, Ukraine
• Don Edkins, STEPS, South Africa
• Mario Friso, Festival des Libertés, Belgium
• Abdoulaye Gaye, AfricanBamba Human Rights Film Festival, Senegal
• Giulia Grassilli, Human Rights Nights, Italy
• Ondrej Kamenicky, One World, Czech Republic
• Ketil Magnussen, Human International Documentary Film Festival, Norway
• Vincent Mercier, Festival International du Film des Droits de l’Homme, France
• Maciej Nowicki, Watch Docs, Poland
• Oksana Sarkisova, Verzio Film Festival, Hungary
• Richard Warden, Document Human Rights Film Festival, United Kingdom
• Kelsey Jones, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Canan Turan, Filmmaker, Germany
• Sam Soko, Lightbox Africa, Kenya
• Judy Wolfe, POV Magazine, Canada
• Mark Cousins, Belfast Film Festival, Ireland
• Nina Marczan, Filmmaker, Germany
• Yamac Okur, SE-YAP (Film Producers’ Association of Turkey), Turkey
• Mariia Ponomarova, Documentary filmmaker, Ukraine/The Netherlands
• Alex Lee, Doc Edge, New Zealand
• Veton Nurkollari, DokuFest, Kosovo
• Igor Blazevic, One World Human Rights Film Festival, Czech Republic
• Claire Aguilar, IDA, USA
• Petr Lom, ZIN Documentaire B.V., Netherlands
• Angelica Cabezas Pino, The University of Manchester, Chile
• Barbora Hudeckova, One World, Czech Republic
• Natalia María Solórzano, Vásquez, Aguacero Cine, Costa Rica
• Tareq Ahmed, DHAKA DOCLAB, Bangladesh
• Julie Trébault, PEN America – Artists at Risk Connection (ARC), United States of America
• Shane Smith, Hot Docs, Canada
• Alyx Ayn Arumpac, Philippines
• Lindsey Kennedy, TePonui Media, UK
• Agustina Comedi, Filmmaker, Argentina
• Shune Lei Thar, HDFI, Myanmar
• Mariana Oliva, Docsp, Brazil
• Dr Jane M Ferguson, The Australian National University, Australia
• Luis Gonzalez Zaffaroni, DocMontevideo, Uruguay
• Darya Averchenko, IDFF Docudays UA, Ukraine
• Mary, filmmaker, Myanmar
• Htet Htet Aung, Freelance, Myanmar
• Marek Hovorka, Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival, Czech Republic
• Htet Htet Aung, Freelance, Myanmar
• Corinne Simon-Duneau, Lexis International Translations, United States
• Pandav Khatri Paudel Chhetri, Nepal human rights international film festival, Nepal
• Pyae Zaw Phyo, Human Dignity Film Institute, Yangon, Myanmar
• Torstein Parelius, UpNorth Film, Norway
• Martijn te Pas, IDFA, The Netherlands
• Bo Thet Htun, Human Diginity Film Institute, Myanmar
• Michael Suantak, BIT Myanmar, Myanmar
• Aung Chan Lu, Khin Si Yin kwin Film Production, Myanmar (Yangon)
• Joëlle Ducray, Festival Île Courts, Mauritius
• Bob Niemack, International Documentary Association, United States
• Ela Bittencourt, Film Program Advisor, Brazil
• Brett Hendrie, Hot Docs, Canada
• Raul Nino Zambrano, International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Saif Fradj, CineRif festival’s director, Tunisia
• Mg Mg Tha Myint, Nut & Butter production, Myanmar
• Gema Juárez Allen, Gema Films, Argentina
• Carla Navarro Cepero, IN-EDIT Music Documentary Film Festival of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• John Biaggi, Human Rights Watch Film Festival, United States
• Hana Vojackova, artist, filmmaker, United Kingdom / Czech Republic
• Violet Du Feng, Fish + Bear Film Studio, USA
• Lorna Tee, paperheart, Malaysia
• Paulina Suarez, Ambulante, Mexico
• Connie Bottinelli, President, Grinning Dog Pictures, United States
• Beadie Finzi, Doc Society, UK
• Isabel Arrate Fernandez, IDFA Bertha Fund, the Netherlands
• Laura van Halsema, IDFA, Netherlands
• Elisabeth van Bennekom, A titre personnel, The Netherlands
• Ye Lin Aung, HDFI, Myanmar
• Iwana Chronis, Netherlands Film Fund, The Netherlands
• Molly Murphy, Working Films, United States
• Mónica Hernández Rejón, Stockholm Latin American Film Festival, Sweden
• Brent E. Huffman, Northwestern University, United States
• Amy Hobby, Tribeca Film Institute, United States
• Chris Mcdonald, Hot Docs, Canada
• Saskia Gravelijn, IFFR and IDFA, The Netherlands
• Michiel Berkel, Amstelfilm, The Netherlands
• Matthew Holzman, KCRW’s The Document, United States
• Dragos Turea, Parmis Film, Moldova
• Emilie Bujès, Visions du Réel International Film Festival, Nyon, Switzerland
• Guevara Namer, independent, Syria
• Diana Elbaum, Beluga Tree, Belgium
• Dora Bouchoucha, Nomadis.images, Tunisia
• Viviane Ferreira, APAN – Association of Black Audiovisual Professionals, Brasil
• Rachel Wexler, Producer, United Kingdom
• Bruno Dequen, RIDM, Canada
• Jelte Zonneveld, IDFA, The Netherlands
• Katrine Kiilgaard, CPH:DOX, Denmark
• May Nyane, Writer, United States
• Daniel Cross, Concordia University, Canada
• Steven Markovitz, Big World Cinema, South Africa
• Daphné Rozat, Festival du Film et Forum International sur les Droits Humains, Switzerland
• Sander van Bussel, Human Rights Tattoo, Netherlands
• Yasin Ali Türkeri, BSB (The Association of Documentary Filmmakers in Turkey), Turkey
• Amir Ramses, El gouna film festival, Egypt
• Elhum Shakerifar, Hakawati, United Kingdom
• Moses S Nyein Chan Tha, Filmmaker, Myanmar
• Oliver Sertic, Restart, Croatia
• Cat Villiers, Autonomous, United Kingdom
• Ivan Janakat, JFC, Jordan
• Kristine Skaret, Stray Dog Productions, Norge
• Gary Byung-Seok Kam, Mirror & Story, Korea
• Shamira Raphaëla, filmmaker, The Netherlands
• Juan Pablo González, California Institute of the Arts, USA / MEXICO
• Rebecca Lichtenfeld, Director, Bertha Foundation, USA
• Huillard Kann Christilla, Elda, France
• Rachel Leah Jones, Home Made Docs, Israel
• Marjorie Sturm, Independent filmmaker, United States
• Diana Chiawen Lee, Human, Taiwan
• Projekt Independent Filmmaker, India
• Taco Ruighaver, Happiness Foundation & Power of Art House, The Netherlands
• Fleur van Dissel, Visual Communication, Netherlands
• Nikola Tacevski, Freelance photographer, Germany
• Ramon Domingo Virrey, RDV Films, Philippines
• Yakoubi Tudor, France
• Ulla Simonen, AVEK, Finland
• Selina Crammond, DOXA Documentary Film Festival, Canada
• Peter Zach, PZFberlin, Deutschland
• Pekka Lanerva, Helsinki International Film Festival ry, Finland
• Thanos Stavropoulos, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece
• Orestis Andreadakis, Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece
• Julie Karova, One World Film Festival, Czech Republic
• Tamara Van Strijthem, Take One Action Film Festival, United Kingdom
• KHINE ZAN WAI, Individual, MYANMAR
• Sofie Lykke Stenstrop, Final Cut for Real, Schweiz
• Adrienne Kleiweg, Actress, Netherlands
• Pavel Ananich, Destevetter, Netherlands
• Olimpia Pont, Film consultant, Spain
• Melissa Lindgren, Tempo Dokumentär Festival, Sverige
• Ali Remmelts, Movies that Matter Festival, The Hague, Netherlands
• Masha Trebukova, Artist, The Netherlands
• Katja Gauriloff, Filmmaker, Finland
• Joëlle Alexis, JA, Belgium
• Ismail Basbeth, Bosan Berisik Lab, Indonesia
• Dirk van der Straaten, Movies that Matter, Netherlands
• Jean-Michel Frodon, Film critic and professor, France
• Alex Kauffmann, Freelance, France
• Sebastian Thelander Sjöstrand, Cinema Queer, Sweden
• Thet Oo Maung, One Step Human Rights Film Festival, Myanmar
• Dardenne luc, Les films du fleuve, Belgium
• Patricia Mazuy, director, France
• Arnaud des Pallières, filmmaker, France
• Julia Yudelman, International Documentary Film Festival, The Netherlands
• Paul Sapin, Filmmaker, UK
• Serge Le Péron, Cinéaste, France
• Valerie Massadian, Filmmaker, France
• Lise Lense-Møller, Magic HOur Films, Danmark
• Barbet SCHROEDER, Films du Losange, Switzerland
• Mahamat Saleh Haroun, Film director, Chad
• Laurent CANTET, Filmmaker, France
• Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Cineaste, Belgique
• Fleur Knopperts, Volya Films, The Netherlands
• Leonardo Di Costanzo, regista, italia
• Patricia Laudencia, Filmmaker, Philippines
• Zavinta, Youth department, Lithuania
• Saroj S. Sapkota, Festival Director- Pokhara International Mountain Film Festival, Nepal
• Giulia Di Pietro, International Film Festival Rotterdam, Netherlands
• Tom Fawthrop, Eureka Films, United Kingdom
• Sam Reyes, Stranger Films, Mexico
• Ad Mathijssen, Volunteer IFFR, The Netherlands
• Karen Nordentoft, Freelance, former Aarhus Filmfestival & Nordisk Panorama, Denmark
• Karen Nieuwland, NSCAD, Canada
• ZIVILE, SIDEA, designer, LITHUANIA
• Erik Fox, USA
• M Noe, Freelance Filmmaker, Myanmar
• Sebastian Winkels, Filmmaker, Germany
• Marie Claire Starke, IFFR, The Netherlands
• Corinne van Egeraat, ZINdoc, The Netherlands
• Sturla Pilskog, Freelance, Norway
• Tashi Gyeltshen, Film Director / Writer, Bhutan
• Sithu Soe, Human Dignity Film Institute, Myanmar
• Phyo Zayar Kyaw, Freelance Filmmaker, Myanmar
• Arjen van der Straaten, Netherlands
• Julie Nederkoorn, Movies that Matter, Netherlands
• Lynn Myat Oo, Filmmaker, Myanmar
• Jan Rofekamp, Films Transit Inc., Greece
• Lynn Myat Oo, Filmmaker, Myanmar
• Aung Myint Myat Cho, Filmmaker, Myanmar
• Paola Rey, Independent Filmmaker, Spain
• Iris van der Spoel, self-employed editor, The Netherlands
• Marcus Lindeen, Director, Sweden
• Masha, Masha photography, Nederland
• Marcel Musters, NotOnlyVoices.org, Holland
• Ursula Cats, activist, The Netherlands
• Joachim Trier, Director, Norway
• Dymme Plomp, IDFA, The Netherlands
• Mateusz Golebiewski, Independent Filmmaker, Poland
• Hicham Lasri, Film director / novelist, Morocco
• Aki Kaurismäki, Filmmaker, Finland
• Dominique Caubet, Lardux Films, France
• Casey Tung, Freelancer, Hong Kong
• Natalia Mikhaylova, filmmaker, Germany
• Marlies Benter, Teacher, The Netherlands
• Anke Teunissen, Visual Storytelling, The Netherlands
• Fredrik Gertten, WG film, Sweden
• Rutkai Borbála, artist, Hungary
• Tomáš Toži?ka, Institute of Documentary Film, Czech Republic
• Sylvia Bergmayer, MEDIA BIZ, Austria
• Veerle Egbers, IDFA, The Netherlands
• Bruna Marcatto, Documentarist, Brazil
• Nay Chi Myat Noe Wint, Independent Filmmaker, Myanmar
• Nashen Moodley, Sydney Film Festival, Australia
• Meriama Moutik, Reporter, Morocco
• Adriek van Nieuwenhuyzen, IDFA, The Netherlands
• Paula Huijer, SPRING Performing Arts Festival, The Netherlands
• Avi Mograbi, Bezalel Art Academy, Jerusalem, Israel
• Layla Nyrabia, blicke, Germany
• Muhammed Hamdy, cinematographer, Egypt
• Cees van ‘t Hullenaar, IDFA, The Netherlands
• Mina Keshavarz, MinDoc Film Production, Iran
• Jasminka Beganovic, International Dcumentary Film Festival Amsterdam, The Netherlands
• Mélanie de Vocht, IDFA Bertha Fund, The Netherlands
• Jan Sirag, IDFA, Netherlands
• Ritan, Independent, Germany
• Inke Van Loocke, International Film Festival Rotterdam, The Netherlands
• Jon-Sesrie Goff, The Flaherty, USA
• fabio, mancini, italy
• Daichi Amano, Filmmaker, Japan
• Ally Derks, The Netherlands
• Menna Laura Meijer, mint film office, Netherlands
• John Gianvito, Filmmaker and Professor, United States
• Aliona van der Horst, documentary film director, Netherlands
• Sara Hessam Bakhtiari, Fashion Film Festival Milano, Italy
• Sergei Loznitsa, Atoms-and-Void, Germany
• Marina Fokidis, South as a State of Mind, Athens
• carolina veloso, Portugal
• Catherine Le Clef, CAT&Docs, France
• Carlo Chatrian, Berlin International Film Festival, Germany
• Smriti Nevatia, Freelancer, India
• Cristina Velasco, Paloma Negra Films, Mexico
• Nobbe, Student sociologie, België
• Marion Döring, European Film Academy, Germany
• Aboozar Amini, SilkRoadFilmSalon, Netherlands
• Sushmit Ghosh, Black Ticket Films, India
• Janske Stoop, IDFA, The Netherlands
• Ally, Consultant, Netherlands

View the original statement here.